Poison Girl
by SaintVille
Summary: Daniel Bryan is the new blood, fighting his way to the top of the ladder at the WWE. Sitting at the top of that ladder is his worst enemy and personal bully, Randy Orton. Sheamus has his own agenda, and when he becomes the target of the two of them for his championship; the wedge between them is greater than gold. OC, Rated M for violence and sexual situations.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own the WWE or any of its gimmicks or characters. I'm aware that the timing here is not truthful (I'm a huge Daniel Bryan fan and I know his come-up in the WWE went much differently) but I'm running with an idea here. Many different perspectives to this wonderful story, it probably won't be that great or make much sense but it'll be out of my head and that's what matters to me. Thanks for reading. ;)

* * *

His fingers trembled; lacing boots was like dragging boulders across a desert when he was nervous. He was sweating, and the show hadn't even started yet.

"Hey," Daniel Bryan's long-time friend knelt down in front of him and began lacing his left boot, "thought they taught you how to do this kind of stuff in kindergarten."

To most, he was current WWE champion CM Punk; but Daniel had known him so much longer than any gimmicks or straps could define.

"Very funny," Daniel muttered, wiping his clammy hands on his towel. He glanced up at the live monitor in the men's locker room. The dark match, the one he was more accustomed to wrestling, was over; now they were prepping to open the live show with a diva's match. Daniel took a deep breath. After that match, it would be his first televised match on Raw.

"In all seriousness, D," Punk stated, moving over to his other boot, "you're going to be fine. After the match, we'll get a couple of divas and grab a bite to eat; besides, you're not the only new blood tonight so no pressure," he tied the final knot and took a seat next to Daniel on the bench. Daniel cringed at the mention of the divas; he was a 'C-Show' wrestler and no diva wanted to be seen out with any guy who wasn't headlining. Daniel's nervous mind processed the rest of Punk's words. He didn't know of anyone else premiering tonight.

"Who else is new on the roster tonight?"

Punk pointed up to the monitor, Daniel's eyes followed.

* * *

The arena lights dimmed, powder blue and pink lights lit up the stage. Whatever song that began was being drowned out because the fans were going nuts. Red fireworks lit up the stage, showering sparks from above and below; the shadowed figure stood behind the action with her left arm raised in the air. The pyrotechnics stopped and she ran down the ramp, planting one foot on the ring apron and leaping over the ropes and into the ring. She was stunning, so beautiful Daniel could've held a stethoscope to his chest and not heard a heartbeat. She had a gorgeous smile, lightly tanned skin, and long pink curls that cascaded across her shoulders. Her blue eyes were electric against her lilac sparkling tank top and shorts, emblazoned with the initials A and O along the left leg.

"Cole, we might need to get a doctor out here," Jerry Lawler could be heard, reacting in his typical fashion to any diva.

"Why's that, King?"

"I think I've died and gone to heaven!"

"Who is she?" Daniel managed to form the words. Punk shook his head a little and said nothing, handing him some wrist tape.

"Introducing first, weighing in at 160lbs; from Knoxville, Tennessee; Miss Adaen!"

Adaen. How had Daniel managed to never meet this girl before? Probably because she was so incredibly out of his league.

AJ's theme music brought him back to reality. AJ was a good friend of Daniel's, and usually Punk's go-to so Daniel didn't have to feel like a third wheel. It looked like she was this Miss Adaen's opponent tonight. Daniel couldn't take his eyes off the screen. He found himself hoping that maybe Punk knew her, could convince her to be Daniel's date, that she didn't care he was a mid-carder; and that she wasn't already seeing some giant A-Show prick.

As if he could hear Daniel's thoughts, Randy Orton stepped up to the bench where Punk and Daniel were sitting; a familiar conceited smirk on his face. Randy was one of a few A-Show superstars that enjoyed giving mid-carders a hard time; Randy's favorite target had always been Daniel.

"How precious; maybe next time I'll let you lace my boots, Punk," he said, kicking Daniel's foot. Daniel tried to ignore him, but Punk would not.

"Say it to the strap, Orton," Punk snapped back.

"So, C-Show," Randy turned his full focus on Daniel, who was forced to pay mind to him now, "I hear you're wrestling tonight. Been a while since they held two divas matches back-to-back," Randy kicked his boot again, harder this time; and with that, Punk had had enough. He stood, shoving Randy back from them both.

"Watch your damn mouth, Orton. It looks to me like that diva out there has better moves and a bigger fan base than the Ajax Predator has had in a while; what does that say about the state of your sorry career?"

Orton snarled, lunging for Punk; but was caught in a full-nelson by the Great White, Sheamus. A resounding cheer emanated from the arena, drawing everyone's attention back to the monitor.

"And your winner, Miss Adaen!"

"S'lookin' ta me like she's closer to a title match than you are too, Viper," Sheamus said with a laugh, letting Orton go. He glared at the three of them, but Daniel was watching the monitor. She had herself up on the top rope, and she was posing in a familiar way that he couldn't quite place.

"And the third generation wrestler takes her first victory tonight on Raw!"

"Woo boy, Cole, does she spit a familiar poison or what?"

"She's venomous, alright, King. Next up we have another new-comer ready to face our Intercontinental Champion; it's Daniel Bryan versus Dolph Ziggler next on Raw!"

When the monitor cut out for commercial, he found that Randy had disappeared from the locker room and he was being roll-called to the stage. He hastily finished taping his wrists and leapt up. Punk clapped him on the back.

"Good luck, D. Don't let 'em take you alive," he said, his words of encouragement were usually helpful; but Daniel was sure someone else was already holding him captive.


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel hopped nervously from foot to foot backstage. His first televised match and all he could think about was the girl on her way up the ramp. Both her and AJ passed through the curtain at the same time, laughing.

"Wow, Adaen, they loved you," AJ said, looking up at her. Adaen smiled, she was so close and that smile was much more wonderful to see in person.

"They loved us, AJ. That was an amazing match, we make a great team," she replied. They both locked eyes on Daniel standing before them in the wings. AJ's eyes lit up.

"Hey, Daniel, good luck in your match tonight," AJ said, giving Daniel their patented high-five.

"Thanks, AJ. You were both great out there," he replied, trying so hard not to stare at Adaen he realized he was talking to a crate next to the two.

"Wow, I mean… that means a lot coming from you, Dragon; I've always been a huge fan of yours. Can't wait to see you wrestle," Adaen answered, her eyes absolutely sparkling at him. He wanted to lean against the wall to support himself, because she took his breath away. Did she just call herself a huge fan? Of Daniel's?

"Go out with me, tonight. After the show," Daniel didn't even know where that had come from, but he hoped it had sounded less stupid to her.

"Dolph Ziggler already asked her out," AJ said, frowning slightly. Adaen dropped her smile.

"And I'll tell you what I told him. Thank you for the offer, but I can't. I will tell you what I didn't tell him, though. I would've loved to if I could, Dragon. Good luck," she said, stealing herself away without another smile. He could hear Ziggler's theme music starting and watched Ziggler pass him by with a smug look on his face.

Daniel turned back to see where Adaen had gone, maybe he'd be able to get an explanation or some reason why. But when he caught her, she had her arms wrapped around the neck of Randy Orton, and he was kissing the top of her head. It was the only time he'd ever seen Randy smile, and it would be something he wouldn't be able to forget anytime soon.

* * *

He spit blood into the sink, took a handful of the running water and ladled it into his sore mouth. He'd lost, and to make matters worse he'd taken a cheap shot from Ziggler that had left him with a bruised face.

"What the hell was that hit about, D? Do I need to put my hash-tag heel in Ziggler's face?" Punk appeared in the mirror beside Daniel in the men's locker room. Daniel shook his head. He felt like an idiot; he knew all of Ziggler's weaknesses, and he just couldn't get it done.

"No, it's fine. I just lost focus. It's my fault. I shouldn't have… asked Adaen out. I should've known she was with someone like Randy. I was just being stupid,"

And it was true. He should've known better. She was too pretty, too talented; and had he seriously not read the signs? Her initials, AO? How they called her venomous? The way she posed was just like him! He was stupid not to have caught it all before.

"What do you mean 'with someone like Randy'? YOU ASKED HER OUT?!" the look on Punk's face was confusing. He seemed, horrified.

"What? What is it? She said no, so it's not like-"

"No, no, you've got it all wrong," Punk cut him off, leaning against the adjacent sink, "Adaen Orton isn't 'with Randy'. She's Randy's little sister. And that makes her even more off limits than you previously thought. I just watched Ziggler get his ass kicked for the very same reason, and now we-"

"You're a DEAD MAN, C-Show!"

Daniel spun around in time to catch a livid Randy Orton barreling towards them. Punk tried to get in-between them but Randy threw him aside like a ragdoll and went straight for Daniel.

"Randal Keith Orton!"

Randy froze, holding Daniel a foot off the ground by his shirt with Punk on his back in the midst of a sleeper hold. They all turned to the doorway, where a half-dressed Adaen stood.

"Let him go. Both of you," she added firmly, extending her stern gaze to Punk as well as her brother. Slowly the three of them un-tangled from each other and turned to face her. Her hair was wet and her make-up absent, she had a tank top on and a towel wrapped around her waist. She was still extremely beautiful, even looking as angry as she currently did.

"Did we or did we not get past this whole 'beat up guys who like my little sister' business back in high school?"

Randy stared her down.

"You're going to defend this loser," he replied through gritted teeth.

"There are two things wrong with that, Randal. One, you don't tell me what to do. And two, he is not a loser. Now please, get out of here before I have to call dad," she crossed her arms, keeping her eyes on Randy without a glint of reaction. He snarled like a defeated bull, turning his attention to Daniel.

"Don't let me catch you talking to my sister again, C-Show. She deserves better than some mid-carder indie vanilla tweener like you," Randy said, awaiting a reaction from Daniel. He didn't like being called vanilla, it was one of the worst insults a headliner could call an indie wrestler; it meant he was too scrawny and meek; it meant he wasn't good enough to be a real wrestler. Randy stalked off, pushing past Adaen on his way out. Daniel couldn't pretend it didn't bother him; he put a hand across the top of his head slowly. It was times like these that the seeds of doubt sown in him by family and friends all those years ago surfaced; when he wondered what the hell he was doing here and why. Punk's fist met the porcelain sink; the words struck him as well.

"I'm sorry about that," Adaen said quietly, breaking the silence.

"It's not your fault your brother's a complete tool," Punk replied, shaking feeling back into his hand. He was infuriated, and Daniel was just looking at the ground in silence.

"He's not… a tool," she said slowly, trying to meet Daniel's gaze to no avail, "He just doesn't want to see anything happen to me and he thinks that… listen, you don't care what I have to say and that's fine. I just wanted to accept my part in this and apologize. I'm sorry. I'll stop bothering you," she turned and left, Daniel looked up only to watch her go. That was definitely not how he'd wanted to meet this girl.


	3. Chapter 3

One month later

She laced her boots carefully, making sure the pink and blue string pattern was solid and the boots themselves were tight. After last month's little encounter with Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, she'd avoided contact with other wrestlers and spent most of her time chatting with AJ or sticking beside her brother. Randy apologized to her for the event, but it would be one bound for repeat if she allowed herself to get near anyone else. Randy had no control over his temper when it came to her, ever since her days in developmental he'd kept a close eye on anyone who even spoke to her. She couldn't believe she'd even tried to explain his actions to Daniel and Punk; they couldn't possibly have understood what made Randy so vicious, protective, when it came to her.

She stood, shaking out her boots and looking in the mirror in front of her. She brushed out her long pink hair, letting the curls fall across her left shoulder. Her outfit tonight was a white top with white gold sparkles and tight white shorts. It brought out her natural tan, made her hair seem that much wilder. In reality she was a blonde like her mother, but she'd never taken much for being normal.

"Let's get a bite to eat, Adaen. Kaitlyn and I are starving," AJ popped up beside her, a smile on her face. It was good to have a couple of friends here; she didn't have many throughout her life, and she enjoyed AJ's company. But today was not a very good day.

"Yeah, Adaen, let's grub it up and chat about AJ's date with Daniel tonight," Kaitlyn said, shoving AJ playfully. AJ turned a beat red instantly.

"It's not a date if Punk's coming with us, Kait!" she replied, shoving Kaitlyn back with much less effect.

"I'm alright, guys. Thank you though," Adaen replied, picking up her coat and pulling it on. AJ laughed a little.

"'You Should Quit'?" Kaitlyn recited the back of Adaen's jacket questioningly, making Adaen smile a little.

"Just a suggestion to my enemies," Adaen replied quietly, throwing her hood up and taking leave of the locker room to make as much distance between herself and anyone else as she could. She had a few hours to herself before the show started, and she found herself wandering the halls of the vast arena they were in for the evening. It was never a good thing to let her get enveloped into her thoughts, especially when it came to the old days. Coming up in a house full of male wrestlers who had begged her to become anything but one of them was not easy. Sneaking off to house shows and watching the indie wrestlers throw themselves through tables, begging Randy to teach her everything he learned at developmental. Watching Randy come up with the WWE made her want more than anything to be a part of it. It had almost been tainted, almost been stolen from her completely; but after all the blood, sweat, and tears she was finally here.

She was so caught up in the past she didn't notice him until she ran right into him. She backed up, alarmed with her hands up.

"Sorry," they both said at the same time. Sheamus smirked at her.

"S'alright, lass. What're you doing wandering around out here without yer bodyguard anyhow? S'dangerous 'round here, what with all these big invisible Irishmen you could be runnin' inta," he said, putting his hands in the pockets of his denim jeans and flashing his pearly white teeth in a smile. She'd never been formally introduced to Sheamus, or ever really seen him up close but he had a roguish charm about him, and he smelled nicely. Adaen shook her head a little, letting her hood fall down.

"Randy is probably strangling someone who looked at me twice in a hallway somewhere," she said, realizing the joke didn't sound nearly as funny as it had in her head. Sheamus didn't seem bothered by it, though. He even laughed.

"Actually he's in the weight room, giving a lecture to the lot o' them that yer not to be looked at for more than t'ree seconds or he will be seein' us in the ring," he replied. He really wasn't fazed by Randy? At all?

"Your match last week, against Swagger, it was great," Adaen said, looking at the ground for a moment. She wasn't used to grasping for conversation with someone, and she wasn't sure why she was with him. It almost made her feel like a normal girl.

"Well, thanks, lass. Yer match was great too. You and AJ have yerselves some great chemistry in tha ring," he replied, "By tha way, where did'ya learn'ta do that leap over tha ring? That's some damn talent."

Adaen laughed; the smile she felt was genuine. Sheamus was a sweet guy, seemingly contrary to the way he was portrayed on camera.

"Jeff Hardy actually taught me that. The man is crazy talented, and I got to train a little with him when I was in developmental. One of the greatest honors of my life to learn from a man I've looked up to since I was young," she answered, looking up into his eyes. They widened a little.

"Yer making me feel damn old sayin' that, lass. I came up around tha same time he did. And if you were watchin' him as a kid, that must mean yer much, much younger than I t'ink y'are."

Adaen smiled a little. Here it comes. Hopefully he wasn't one of the kinds of guys who would start giving her crap for being her age.

"I'm twenty two. But I've been training since I was fourteen," Adaen added, for some reason attempting to make herself seem better, older. Why was she trying to impress him?

"Wow," he said, stroking his facial hair for a second. She found it made her a little nervous to think he was judging her. He gave her a once over.

"That just makes ya an even more impressive gal than I previously t'ought. Good on ya, little Orton. You impress me more than your whelp of a brother, that's for damn sure."

Adaen could hear familiar boots stomping in their direction. Randy was upon them before Adaen could begin to warn Sheamus. He put a hand on Sheamus' shoulder.

"Who are you calling a whelp, exactly?" Randy said in his slow, calculating tone. Sheamus smirked a little, turning slightly and breaking Randy's hold on him.

"Yer Randy Orton, aint'cha? Pretty damn sure it's you I'm callin' a whelp, fella," Sheamus said, folding his arms across his chest. Now Adaen knew for sure that Sheamus wasn't afraid of her brother. At the moment, that made just one of them.

"Ah, well, I wasn't sure because that accent takes a little sifting through to find something salvageable of the English language. Now, I could have sworn you were a part of that little group I warned about talking to my sister. And this happens to be my sister. Why are you talking to her?"

"I bumped into him, Randy. We were just saying sorry, and I was asking him where you were," Adaen said, trying to ease Randy's frustration.

"Don'tcha go lyin' on account of me, little Orton. I can handle myself," he turned to Randy, dropping his smile instantly; this was the Sheamus she saw on TV, "Yeah, I was talkin' to yer sister. And if ya wanta see me in the ring, let's have ourselves a chat with the man in charge. I'd be happy to kick your arse, fella," he said, inciting a fury in Randy that only meant one thing; he would definitely be seeing Sheamus in the ring.

"Did somebody say something about a man in charge?"

The three of them turned around to see Raw's current interim general manager, Leo Stovik, standing in an exit-signed doorway. He seemed to have been standing there longer than they'd known; he had a knack for showing up places that people didn't want him; much like the rodent he most closely resembled. He was a slimy guy, inside and out from his greased back hair to his cheap smile. He was like a cross between a used car salesman and a mafia wise-guy.

"Give me a match tonight against Sheamus," Randy growled. Leo smirked, adjusting his tie.

"Would love to, but I can't. You're not the number one contender for Sheamus' Heavyweight title. I can, however…" he split his sentence purely for the sake of dragging out his own pompous thoughts "…give Adaen a match tonight against Sheamus."

Adaen shook her head. She really hated this Leo guy. To her, he was just some suit from Corporate Connecticut who was equally as evil and obnoxious in real life as he was on camera.

"I'm not fightin' a little girl, Stovik," Sheamus said. Adaen turned on him. He'd pressed a button.

"I'm not a little girl," she replied, now giving a similar face to the one Randy had. A short temper ran in the Orton family.

"Of course you're not, Sheamus. It'll be a mixed tag match. You and AJ, versus Adaen and… Daniel Bryan. If she wins, I'll think about giving you two a match. No outside interference, Orton. I mean it. What happened to Ziggler last month put you on your final warning, and you know you don't scare me. I will not hesitate to suspend you," he pointed one slender finger at Randy before stepping down from the short ledge the door was perched on and striding off down the hall.

Not Daniel. Anyone but Daniel. After what had happened when they'd first met, Adaen had been too embarrassed to say anything to him. Randy had not only insulted him deeply, but he'd embarrassed her in front of one her favorite wrestlers. She didn't seem to have it quite as bad as Sheamus did though. He didn't look happy, or angry. Just… conflicted.

"C'mon, Adaen. We've got a pipsqueak to find," Randy grabbed her arm and they set off to the men's locker room, leaving Sheamus standing in the hall staring at the back of her sweatshirt.

* * *

Randy didn't really think too much on the matter. He left Adaen outside the locker room, barreled in, grabbed the half-naked freshly showered in-the-middle-of-a-conversation Daniel Bryan, and dragged him by his arm into the hall.

"I haven't said a word to your sister!" Daniel shouted, trying to pull away and hold his towel at the same time. Adaen could see CM Punk from the crack in the door as it closed, chasing after them with a hastily grabbed towel over his privates. Randy shoved his boot into the corner of the door, closing it quickly and shutting Punk inside.

"He's not going to hurt you, Daniel," Adaen said calmly as Daniel's focus turned onto her. His face flushed with embarrassment, water was still dripping from his head.

"Right, Randy?"

Adaen folded her arms, raising a brow to Randy and staring him down until he let Daniel go. He stood in front of the door, holding it closed as CM Punk shouted inaudibly from the other side.

"You and I have just been put in a match tonight against AJ and Sheamus. And Randy wants me, us, to win," she continued. She was actually a little happy to be talking to him again. After all, the American Dragon was one of her indie heroes.

"What exactly did you do to piss off Sheamus?" Daniel said, sounding confused.

"Randy did it, not me. This is his entire damn fault. And he got you brought into it too. So, I say we talk strategy but first… please put on some pants. I'll meet you in catering in fifteen minutes. And Randy _won't_ be there, I promise," Adaen lifted her hood above her head and stalked off. She'd reached her limit with Randy, and the only way to beat the Viper was to be one.

* * *

Ryback had the line held up about ten people back, trying to decide how he wanted his three steaks cooked. Luckily for Adaen that wasn't the food she was interested in. She'd been a vegetarian from the age of ten, so the salad bar was her best friend. She took a seat by herself at a small table in the corner, placing her large varied ingredient salad and organic lemonade in front of her. It wasn't a second after she'd picked up her fork that she was interrupted.

"I don't wanta fight with you in the ring tonight," Sheamus said, pulling out the chair across from her and taking a seat. He had a serious concern on his face that rubbed on Adaen's already sore nerves. She couldn't help but recall him saying she was a 'little girl' earlier.

"Well," Adaen said, putting her forkful of salad on the plate and lacing her fingers, "It's alright if you're scared I'm going to beat you. I get that a lot, being an Orton and all."

She wanted to be serious but she couldn't help and smirk at the look on his face. She knew enough of Sheamus to know that he wasn't one to be told he couldn't do something. He looked down for a while, as if thinking about her words or what they really meant.

"Just don't put me in a position, love," he said finally, rising up and leaving. As Adaen watched him go she saw Daniel entering the room. He was wearing a pair of jeans and his first WWE tee, back when his gimmick had been that nerdy little submission expert. She had that same tee in her closet back home.

"Hey, sorry I took a little longer than you requested. I had to convince Phil that Randy wasn't leading me into some kind of trap," he took the same seat Sheamus had been sitting in only a moment ago.

"I'm a woman of my word, Dragon. Now, if you'll give me a few seconds I'll take care of this salad and we can get down to the brass."

Daniel allowed her silence for a little while, before it seemed too much for him not to know.

"You're really a… fan… of mine?" he asked. She chewed slowly, savoring the few bites she'd been able to get in the second minute of peace she'd had all day. She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"I started to learn every submission technique anyone could teach me after I saw you use the cattle mutilation for the first time. I'm one of the most accomplished female submission wrestlers in this industry because I saw you at a Ring of Honor show years ago," she replied, taking in a quick bite of salad before he responded. When he said nothing, she ventured a look at him. He was locked to her, his eyes intense on her and the words floating between them.

"Your natural hair color… is blonde, right?"

She nodded. Had she mentioned that to him before? Were her roots showing?

"I remember you at that show. You were front row; you had a purple v-neck tee on, I thought you were the most gorgeous fan I was ever going to have; you probably still are," he said, quite bashfully.

"You really remember me, out of that entire crowd? That was years ago," Adaen replied, honestly astounded. She of course remembered that night. It had piqued her interest in all things technical in the wrestling world. But she hadn't expected him to remember her.

"People who look like you aren't easy to forget, especially when you're screaming my name."

Adaen laughed out loud, mostly because he did not realize what he'd said until he'd said it.

"Don't go getting ahead of yourself, Mr. Small Package," she managed, laughing harder at the crimson shade his face was turning.

"I… totally did not mean that. Sorry."

"It's okay, I'm not offended. In your defense, I totally was," she replied with a smirk that made Daniel an even deeper shade of red than he was before. He shifted in his seat a little, daring to look at her again with his own smile. There was something cute about his shyness, his silliness. It made her feel comfortable. She could only hope it would translate in the ring.


	4. Chapter 4

**"**_It's a shameful thing, lost her head_

_A careless man would wind up dead_

_You wear your sin like it's some kind of prize_

_Too many lies, too many lies…"_

Sheamus let the lights eat at his anxiety, feeding off the crowd as he took to the right of the stage allow AJ equal room beside him. He helped her up onto the ring and sat on the middle rope to let her in.

"Quite the gentleman, Sheamus is," King commented.

"Wait until the bell rings," replied Cole.

He found that he couldn't give himself to the fans just yet, so he stood looking around at all of them; reading the signs for him and against him; reading the signs for her. He expected to hear Daniel Bryan's theme, but instead he heard another.

_"I hear voices in my head_

_They council me, they understand_

_They talk to me…"_

Randy Orton stepped out, much to the delight of the crowd.

"Looks like Randy's out here to supervise his sister's match. I've heard rumors she's not even allowed to talk to the other male wrestlers," Cole commented as Randy approached the ring. Sheamus took to the ropes, following Randy's slow calculated stride over to the announce table.

"You think he feels the same way about commentators?"

"You should ask him, King; he's taking a seat with us."

"On second thought…"

Randy sat down and put a headset on, never once taking his eyes off Sheamus. Daniel Bryan's theme began; a smattering of cheers not quite as strong as Randy's filled the arena. Adaen came out first, holding Daniel by the arm. They raised their free arms together, inciting a strong reaction from the crowd.

"Daniel Bryan sure doesn't like having a left arm, does he?" Randy muttered. Cole scooted away from him subtly.

It was strange to walk so slowly down to the ring with so much adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her heart nearly flipped when she locked eyes with Sheamus. It was show-time and if there was anyone more competitive in this match than Sheamus, it was Adaen. Daniel followed her up the steels steps, holding her waist as she stepped onto the apron. She smiled quickly to AJ before leaping over the top rope into the ring; Daniel ducked under the ropes behind her. Sheamus stepped forward, willing to be the first participant in the match, but Adaen didn't back down.

"What is she doing? Does she want to start the match off against Sheamus? Is she crazy?" Cole said in disbelief. Adaen was taunting Sheamus now, standing in the corner next to Daniel and shouting at him to 'bring it'.

"She's not crazy. She's an Orton," Randy replied, smiling a little.

"I'm not ta be fightin' ya, love. Let aside so the men can start," Sheamus said, barely audible over the chants of her name. Adaen shook her head.

"I'm starting this match. It's you or her, I'm fine either way," she replied. Daniel touched her shoulder, leaning in to speak to her.

"Do you think it wise to offer a man like him an ultimatum?" he asked. Adaen turned her head, her face very close to his.

"What exactly do you think Sheamus will do to me?"

"Nothing with me here," Daniel replied quickly, watching AJ come back into the ring as Sheamus finally backed down.

"Let's show them what we're made of, Dragon," Adaen said. As soon as Daniel crossed the ropes AJ slammed into Adaen, tackling her to the mat. She was shouting something that Adaen couldn't understand because she was shielding her head from a flurry of punches. What had gotten into this girl? Adaen pushed her back as hard as she could, gaining her footing before AJ and taking her down to the mat in a wrist lock. Adaen pressed her knee in between AJ's shoulder-blades, holding her to the ground and twisting on her arm. What the hell had that been about? Whatever it was, cheap shots didn't sit well with Adaen.

"Tap out!" Adaen shouted, pressing her knee harder into AJ's back. She cried out, putting alarm on Sheamus' face. Adaen was closer than she'd like to be to Sheamus, and she made the mistake of letting him distract her.

"Let up on her, love! You're going to break 'er damn arm!" he shouted, causing Adaen to lose focus. Why did he call her love? And why did it make her feel the slightest bit jealous that he was defending AJ? AJ grabbed the bottom rope with her free arm, causing the ref to start a five-count for Adaen to release her. Adaen pressed down on her back again hard before letting up. The ref pushed her back to her corner, allowing AJ time to get up.

"This girl is definitely a Vipress if there was ever any doubt before. That bloodthirsty look on her face is something we see on yours every time you step into the ring, Randy," Cole said, entrenched in the action on his monitor.

"You want to play dirty, Adaen?" AJ shouted from the corner, ignoring Sheamus' pleads to tag herself out of the match. AJ flexed her arm uncomfortably, the damage was done but she wasn't going to let it keep her out. She charged at Adaen, who almost wanted to shake her head and say, 'silly girl'. She side-stepped the predictable girl just as she leapt up into a drop-kick, which instead hit Daniel in the chest; knocking him from the apron and onto his back adjacent to the steel steps. He hadn't been expecting it, and he hit the scarce padding hard. AJ's eyes were saucers; the last thing she'd wanted to do was cause any harm to Daniel.

"Is that what you call playing dirty, little girl? I'll show you playing dirty," Adaen grabbed her by the back of her hair and dragged her into the center of the ring, the referee protesting to no avail. Hurting Daniel was very real and very unacceptable, and it left her without a partner but she was focused only on showing this girl how the game was really played. Adaen picked her up around the waist and suplexed her to the mat, feeling the impact reverberate through the ring. The smile on her face she would see later looked equally as maniacal as it felt, and yet another clear representation that she was indeed an Orton.

AJ tried to scramble away but Adaen grabbed her by the same arm she'd injured earlier and dragged her back. The pained look on AJ's face said she was already suffering from pulled muscles but that was exactly what she deserved. Nobody made Adaen Orton look like a fool. She quickly wrapped her up in the Lebell lock, the move that Daniel often used as a finisher. AJ was pulling, twisting; trying everything she could to get out.

"Adaen stop! You're gonna tear 'er damn arm off! What the hell are ya doing?!" Sheamus began to step through the ropes, looking as though he was about to interfere.

"You want something done well, don't let a pipsqueak like Bryan do it," Randy said, rising from his seat and tearing off his headset, running to the ring and grabbing Sheamus by the boot he still had on the apron.

"You're not a legal man in this match, Sheamus! You're supposed to stand and watch! Enjoy the show, Sheamus!" Randy shouted, with help from the referee Sheamus pulled back. The distraction of Randy getting up gave AJ the advantage. She managed to squirm away quickly, using the last of her reserves to scramble up and tag Sheamus in. Adaen was on her knees ready to get up and tag in Daniel, but he wasn't there. He was still on the ground, trying to catch his breath because in reality it had only been minutes since AJ had kicked it out of him. Sheamus stood still on the apron, this was the position that this love wasn't supposed to put him in. Sheamus slowly stepped through the ropes, Adaen hadn't moved from her place in her corner of the ring. For the first time in a long time, she felt paralyzed with fear. She just stared up at Sheamus, not really seeing him but seeing someone else, someone as big and as easily able to over-power her; pin her down, hurt her; in a different time, in a darker ring with no lights and no escape.

Randy was behind her, pulling Daniel up on his feet and slamming his hand onto Daniel's back, trying to bring the breath back into him.

"Get her out of there! NOW!" he shouted, pushing Daniel to the ring. He climbed up on the ropes, pressing his hand onto Adaen's back and tagging himself in.

"S'about time, fella!" Sheamus said, throwing himself into a grapple with Daniel. Adaen slid out of the ring, running hands through her hair and trying to make sense of why she'd froze.

"What's wrong, Adaen?" Randy said, taking her by the shoulders.

"I just… saw someone else. I saw Joey. I saw him… instead of Sheamus," she answered slowly, bringing herself to the realization as she told Randy. Nothing brought Randy closer to capsizing a small yacht with his bare hands more than hearing Joey's name. But now wasn't the time. Daniel was not 100% and he was giving it everything he had to keep up with a fresh Sheamus. He'd gotten Sheamus down on his knees, and delivered a roundhouse kick straight to Sheamus' chest. He was winded though, and Adaen knew what kind of pain he was in. It could take an hour for him to start breathing right again, and here was trying to fight his way through a match.

"Daniel! Daniel! Let me in!" Adaen shouted, leaping back up onto the apron. Daniel shook his head, doubling over for a second while Sheamus was on his back. Adaen reached out as far as she could and smacked him, tagging herself in.

"What are you doing?" Both Daniel and Randy shouted to her. She was about to show them.


	5. Chapter 5

Adaen moved to the downed Sheamus, grabbed him by the arm and yanked with all her might to bring the massive man to the middle of the ring. From here, he would have no chance to escape.

"Get off me!" he shouted in protest, attempting to fight her and get up. She kicked him hard, sending him back to the mat with wide eyes and a quickly reddening chest. She thought quickly, cycling through every submission technique she knew. What would be the best, the most effect, the most devastating?

Adaen quickly dropped to the ground and straddled Sheamus, confusing him and the entire crowd.

"What the hell is she doing out there?" King said.

"It looks like she's showing us why Randy keeps her on such an intense lockdown," Cole replied.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Sheamus shouted. Adaen slapped him across the face as hard as she possibly could. It seemed to echo through the arena, and the crowd seemed to feel it too. Sheamus' fans were booing her, but her fans were going crazy.

"Do NOT do that again!" he shouted, conflicted as to how he should respond. Everything in him told him to grab her and get her off of him, but she was a girl and he did not want to hurt her.

She hit him again, the sound louder this time than before. The crowd's 'oohhh' of pain was equal to what Sheamus felt. The girl had some might on her, and he was feeling her might about now.

"Do you want me ta put ya on your arse, woman?! Stop hitting me!" he shouted, begged. She was putting him in a position. And as much as he would love having her on top of him, it was not the time; the place; or the circumstance. He grabbed her by the waist and she moved with him quite unexpectedly; he found himself on top of her. And as soon as she wrapped her arms around his waist he knew that that had been exactly what she had wanted. Before he could fight her she had his arm wrapped between hers and her legs around his torso. She lifted her body weight up to sitting position; locking her legs around his arm and throwing him face-first into the mat, his arm twisted completely back. This was a devastating version of the Kimura lock called the Omoplata, one of the most difficult holds to achieve; and she'd set him up beautifully. He tapped out quickly, a small pop and the pain in his shoulder became instantly unbearable. The bell rang, and it took Adaen a full few seconds to let go.

"And your winners by submission, Miss Adaen and Daniel Bryan!"

Adaen leapt up and into Daniel's open arms, beyond excited that she'd pulled it off.

"I can't believe you put Sheamus in an Omoplata!" Daniel said, pulling back to look at her while still holding her. She beamed at him. Sheamus was on the edge of the ring, cradling his arm to his body. He slammed his fist into the ring in anger; that he'd lost or that he'd tapped out to a 'little girl', or both. Right now, Adaen didn't care. She was in the arms of her partner, who'd saved her when she'd frozen out there. And though still breathless, he was smiling at her.

"I only know that move because of you, Dragon," she replied. Being this close to someone that wasn't Randy felt nice, different, and a little bit electric. Daniel was her hero, and to be this close to a man she sought to emulate was like every little girl's celebrity dream date come true.

"Hands to yourself, pipsqueak," Randy grabbed them both by the shoulder and pulled them apart, dragging them to the center of the ring and raising their hands in victory.

"Listen, pipsqueak; just because you did what I told you doesn't mean I have to like you. But for whatever reason, my sister does. Don't let me catch you putting a hand on her unless she needs something from you."

* * *

There was a terrible reception awaiting them backstage, consisting of Leo Stovik and his two goons; Darren Young and Titus O'Neil. Daniel had an arm around Adaen, who was taking him to medical when Titus stepped in her path.

"What do you want, losers?" she snarled, making him take a step back. Leo was slow-clapping with a dirty little grin on his face.

"I just wanted to congratulate you, Adaen, on taking out not one; but two of my headlining wrestlers in one match. I really appreciate you COMPLETELY SCREWING ME."

Adaen wasn't used to being shouted at, and there was something sinister about him that made it especially uneasy to take. Leo straightened up, adjusting his tie.

"But on a lighter note, the crowd loves this little power couple here."

"Power… couple?" Randy passed through the curtain, raising a brow at Leo. The way his demeanor changed was instantaneous. Of course he wasn't going to treat Adaen negatively in front of Randy, as long as he enjoyed his current dental work.

"I mean on-screen, obviously. People like you two, you complement each other. I'm enjoying the sight of you both in the ring. There may be more in store for you two in the future. As for Sheamus, I have to say your defeat of him in the ring may have… shaken his ego a little."

Adaen couldn't help but smirk at this. Sheamus had seen what the 'little girl' he didn't want to fight could do.

"The man needed to be brought down a peg. Maybe I'll take his title next. Now if you'll excuse us, he needs to get to medical," Adaen answered, shifting Daniel's weight a little and glaring at Darren Young until he stepped aside. Randy followed closely behind, staring down at Darren as he passed.

"Adaen, I'm going to the locker room to change. I will be at medical in twenty. Stay there," Randy said, splitting off from them and heading down towards the locker rooms.

"Is he… actually leaving you alone?" Daniel managed, holding his ribs uncomfortable as we neared the doctor's room. Adaen smiled at him.

"I guess he does trust you. I mean, you took a drop-kick for me after all," she answered, tapping on the door for them. The resident doctor opened it, a middle aged man with a permanent furrow in his brow from years of dealing with superstars.

"Ah, we've expected you, Daniel. It's a little crowded in here; can I have you wait outside for him, darling?"

Adaen nodded, trading Daniel off to him and taking her place against the wall across from the door. She finally let herself shake with the adrenaline, feel the victory she'd secured over a man three times her size. When she'd frozen in the ring, seen the face of another man; she'd been unable to let that go. She wasn't the same weak person she had been then, and if Jesse was watching that; she'd proven it by not only beating Sheamus but making him tap out. Adaen shook her head a little; her thoughts didn't need to be drifting off to a past vendetta on such a good evening.

The door opened quickly and Adaen perked up, hoping it was Daniel. Sheamus slammed the door shut with his good arm, the one she'd put in the Omoplata was hanging in a sling. When he locked eyes on her, his face was plastered with anger. In an instant he was on her, holding her to the wall by her shoulder with his good arm; his face was so close to hers she could see the tiny flecks of green in his blue eyes, the small beads of sweat still falling from his face. He was snarling, definitely a little more than shaken by his defeat. Adaen was pinned. Randy had said twenty minutes, how long had it been? She thought to scream but something about it kept her quiet.

And in the same split second, his lips were on hers and then he was gone; barreling down the halls, tossing aside trash cans with loud bangs and shouting at anyone in his way. Adaen wasn't sure what she thought had happened had just happened. She'd expected him to scream at her, to hit her even. Had he really just… kissed her? She felt her lips, they were still tingling.

"Sister," Randy appeared from the opposite hallway, holding her bag and his. He was in streets and his hair was still a little wet. Adaen wasn't sure if she should tell him. Adaen wasn't sure if it had really been Sheamus' intention. The door opened slowly, and Daniel stepped out wrapped up across his shoulder and chest. He looked to Adaen, and then to Randy; who took a small step back from the two of them.

"What's the prognosis, Dragon?" Adaen asked, finding her voice and attempting to stuff her moment with Sheamus down into the vaults of her mind for later review.

"Bruised sternum, fine to wrestle in a week. Thanks for your help. I… guess I'll see you," he awkwardly offered his hand.

"Just hug her before I fucking lose it, pipsqueak," Randy muttered, stepping between them and heading for the exit. Adaen stepped forward and gingerly put her arms around him.

"Thanks for being my partner tonight, and for putting up with Randy. I'm still your biggest fan, Dragon. And I always will be," she said, feeling his hands on the small of her back; calloused and strong, they were comforting to feel on her skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes with a smile.

"If you were my only fan, I'd consider it a good career," he replied, looking down at her with the same smile. Her hand touched the side of his face, and she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"See you soon, Dragon," she said quietly, lingering in his arms for a moment before catching sight of Randy in her peripherals and pulling away.

* * *

Sheamus met his rage-filled end in a dead hallway packed with emptied equipment boxes. He leaned against a large wooden crate and slammed his fist into it, feeling the gratifying sinking of its weakness to his strength. He'd left a lot in his wake trying to pull himself away from her. That woman had nearly broken his arm. She'd pulled his shoulder out, and popping it back in had been one of the most painful experiences he'd had in his life. That woman had left him with two weeks on the sidelines, at the very least. And when he'd seen her, he could have and should have justifiably rung her neck. But a small, sick piece of him had been… almost turned on by it. There wasn't a girl he'd ever met who had stood up to him like that, let alone one who nearly broke his arm in a match. He would not have imagined when they'd bumped into each other earlier that he'd be off the roster for two weeks because of her.

He could see her at the far end of the hall, Randy was stalking off and Sheamus felt compelled to go back and explain himself. It had been rude to kiss her, an invasion of her privacy but he hadn't been able to control his frustrations. He rose from his place against the crate and began to walk slowly, stopping when Daniel came into view; wrapping his arms around her and smiling. Sheamus felt a resurgence of rage mixed with jealousy, watching him speak to her; watching her smile and kiss his cheek before she left. Sheamus should have known better than to think that he stood a chance with that girl. He turned around quickly, intending to leave before she noticed him watching her or ran into Daniel; and he ran into Leo standing smugly behind him with a messenger bag strapped across his chest. He folded his arms.

"Tough break, huh champ?" he said, his attempt at sincerity ill-received.

"Just back off, ya slimy good-for-nothin' son of a-"

"Whoa now, champ; let's not get technical here. I'm just stopping by to let you know that you will need to pick someone to contend on your behalf for SmackDown. Mr. Teddy Long has informed me you were scheduled for a match, which you… obviously cannot compete in," Leo replied, motioning to Sheamus' arm.

"Who was I scheduled ta be facin'?" Sheamus asked. Leo laughed a little, taking pace away from Sheamus. He spoke as he walked without looking at Sheamus.

"Tensai. And if I can offer you a word of advice, keep your eyes on the prize, champ. Whatever that prize may be."


	6. Chapter 6

**One week later**

Adaen balanced her plate in one hand and her blue protein-enhanced drink in the other, her purse around her forearm and a pair of worn-in cowgirl boots on her feet. Daniel was across the hall sitting with a few other wrestlers, he smiled and waved her over. She took a seat next to him, placing her things down in an orderly manner.

"Where's your meat?" Ryback asked between forkfuls of some strange beefy concoction.

"I don't eat meat," she answered, taking a sip of her drink with a smile. Ryback shook his head, and Punk laughed.

"Marry this woman, D. Marry her before she realizes she's too good for you," Punk said. Daniel smirked a little at Adaen, and she bumped his arm. Adaen was glad to see Punk had warmed up to her since the last time they'd spoken.

"Yeah, just get past her brother first and you'll be set. You can live without a head for a little while, right?" Ryback said, pulling a large piece of beef from his stew with his hands and chomping on it mercilessly.

"Where's your girlfriend, Ryback? Oh, right; she was also disgusted by your eating habits," Punk replied, elbowing him so he smeared stew-sauce on his chin. He growled at Punk, making Adaen laugh. She looked up mid-chuckle to see her brother approaching them. He didn't seem happy, but it wasn't because Adaen was sitting with the group.

"Pipsqueak's fighting Tensai tonight, and you're his valet," he said, glancing at both her and Daniel as he spoke. Adaen shook her head, not even looking at him.

"I do not valet for anyone," she said. The very word was one she kept out of her vocabulary as much as possible. She had built her career as a female wrestler, not on the back or arm of any man and she certainly didn't intend to start now. Daniel seemed more concerned with the first piece of that information.

"Who decided I was going to fight Tensai tonight?"

"I did, fella!" Sheamus appeared behind Randy, in his typical tight denim Levi's and 'brogue kick hooligans' shirt. He was smirking something fierce. Adaen should've known he would be behind this. She didn't justify him with a glance.

"Thanks for dropping my title by personally. I figure you might as well hand that over along with your testicles after the match last night," she said, taking a bite of her salad casually. Sheamus wasn't going to let her take him down that easily.

"As much as I'd like to let you hold onto both of those t'ings for a little while, I'm gon' ta be a wee bit busy watching yer little boyfriend get his arse kicked tonight. Hope yer wearin' something tight, love; I'm gon' ta be at commentary and I wanta see a real show," Sheamus said, knowing he was going to rub her nerves with that one. Surprisingly, she calmly chewed and swallowed her food before standing up and finally meeting eyes with Sheamus. She grasped her protein drink from the table, taking a long drink before meeting his eyes again; swishing the drink back and forth in her mouth as she appeared to ponder Sheamus' words. And then she pursed her lips, and spit the contents of her drink in Sheamus' face and across his belt. Randy smiled as Sheamus stepped back, losing his smirk as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

"You damned little harpy!"

Punk and Daniel got up, taking steps between Adaen and Sheamus before Sheamus could do anything. Randy took to their side.

"You're gon' ta get it for that, love," Sheamus said, his smirk re-centered as he left catering.

"Do you want that man to kill you, Adaen?" Punk said, turning to face her. She wiped the dribble from her chin and shrugged.

"Are you kidding? That was great. Its times like this I remember that you weren't adopted, sis," Randy said, taking her around the shoulders and squeezing her. She didn't share his enthusiasm. In fact, she looked agitated.

"Sis? Sis, don't do what I think you're going to do. I'm serious."

It was weird to see Randy petitioning Adaen, because to most it seemed like they would find themselves more often in the opposite. Adaen simply shook her head and sat back down, picking up her fork where she'd left off.

"Thanks for backing me up, boys," she said simply, her last words for the entire duration of her stay in catering. When she was finished, she got up and left without a word to anyone at the table and kissed the top of Daniel's head.

"See you backstage," she said quietly, leaving catering quickly.

"Where do you think she's going?" Ryback asked.

"Hair and make-up," Randy answered before getting up and following after her.

* * *

This didn't feel right. Cowboy boots and plaid button-ups felt right. Converse and a pair of tight jeans, maybe. Not mini-dresses and a head full of extensions.

"I'm glad you've come to me, Miss Adaen. You look gorgeous," the stylist said, looking into the mirror behind Adaen. Adaen didn't quite recognize herself. Her eyes were painted up, her eyebrows plucked and arched, her hair bumped up with volume and cascading from pink to blonde in waves of curls that used to end at her collar but now led to the end of her shoulders. Her lashes were fake and her lips were red, a golden chain with two serpents intertwined rested perfectly on her collarbone, her dress was sweetheart-lined strapless and as tight as second skin, decorated in a flashy cheetah print with golden gladiator heels that were difficult to stand on.

"I look like a gosh-damn Barbie doll," Adaen answered, tugging at the dress in hopes of making it longer. It only pulled down more in front, which was not an option with everything packed in like it was.

"You look wonderful. Daniel will think you look gorgeous and speaking of him…" she stepped forward to fluff her hair a little, "…you've got about ten minutes to get backstage."

"You're kidding. How can I make that in these heels?" Adaen began stomping out the door immediately.

"Be gentle! Be girly!" the stylist shouted hopelessly at her as she made her way out towards the backstage. Adaen slowed her pace a little, taking care to walk as she was told to. When she finally caught sight of Daniel, he was doing his warm-up routine and getting ready to walk. When he saw her, he froze. It took him a few moments of staring at her with a look mixed in a helpless loss for words and a need to tell her so much it couldn't be accounted for before he finally managed to speak.

"You… are so beautiful. I don't even… should you even be talking to me looking like that?"

Adaen laughed a little, leaned over and kissed his cheek. A small red imprint of her lips laid trail on his jaw. His theme came on, and she watched him from the monitor as he came out and awaited her on the ramp. Her song followed his. She found herself a little nervous, but it was now or never and she wasn't going to leave Daniel waiting.


	7. Chapter 7

Adaen felt the eyes of the crowd on her as she stepped out and raised her fist in the air. Part of her was worried they'd think her to be a sell-out, because real wrestlers didn't have to do this or look this way to be great. But they seemed to like her new look, especially on Daniel's arm.

"Looks like Miss Adaen Orton gave Daniel Bryan a little good luck kiss backstage. Do you think if I told her I had test coming up she'd give me one?" King asked Michael Cole, who shook his head. Beside Cole sat a quiet Sheamus, who sat back with his title belt on the commentary table watching the two of them make their way to the ring.

"She looks beautiful tonight, doesn't she Sheamus?" Cole asked. Sheamus had to snap himself back into reality before he could answer.

"Doesn't she always, Cole?" he replied quietly, watching Daniel take to the ring and Adaen walk around to the left side. She didn't even look over at commentary, acting completely uninterested in Sheamus' presence. He couldn't help but be bothered by it.

"Hey, love! Come and join the boys over here! We won't bite too hard!" he shouted, standing and offering his seat to her; she completely ignored him, and when Daniel looked down at her she smiled at him. The bell rang the match in, and Tensai attempted to make quick work of Daniel with a clothesline that he narrowly missed.

"Ya don't want my seat, do ya? Then come and have a sit on my lap, love! I'll show ya what a real man's got!" he harassed, Cole looked wide-eyed at the spectacle Sheamus was making of himself.

"Sheamus, please, this is a PG show," he said quietly. Sheamus feigned innocence, patting his title.

"I meant me belt, Cole. But if ya want ta talk about all the other ways I'm better than Danny boy…"

Adaen felt her eye twitch a little. It was hard to keep blissfully ignorant of a man as big and loud as Sheamus, especially with a temper like hers. She made her way towards the commentary table, a perfect smile on her face, and took a seat next to Sheamus. He handed her a headset.

"Glad ya could be joinin' us, love," he said as she adjusted her headset around her hair.

"How exactly have you two been able to deal with this giant, ignorant paper champ all night?" she asked, looking around Sheamus at Cole and King. They both laughed.

"Who're you callin' a paper champ? When that's the only damn thing you've got 'round yer waist, love?"

"Your championship should be around my waist. We should fight for it. You like having a busted arm, right? I can make that a permanent fixture," she snapped back, folding her arms and crossing her legs, her eyes still fixed on the match. Daniel had Tensai down in the middle of the ring, and was clambering to the top rope to land a devastating blow. Adaen could see the two small dimples just above the back of his trunks, something about it felt intimate and made her look away with a hot face.

"Danny boy! Hey, Danny boy!" Sheamus was shouting again, getting up out of his seat and pushing Adaen's chair askew with his good arm. She stood immediately, unsure of what he was up to and quickly evaluating how helpless she'd be to stop him in this stupid outfit. Daniel was turned around on the top rope, Sheamus had achieved his attention-seeking and now it was time for the show. Tensai was up so quickly it had almost been like he'd been waiting for the moment. He easily lifted Daniel up from the ropes and slammed him straight to the mat, dropping down to pin him. He kicked out at 2 and a half. Adaen had had enough.

"You must be kidding me! What's your goal here, big man? An eye for an eye? Then punish me, you giant brute! I broke your arm! I beat you!" she shouted at him, taking a step back and nearly falling over a cord. If Sheamus hadn't caught her by her arm then she would've hit her head on the barricade. But all Daniel had heard was her shouting, and now Sheamus with a grip on her. He leapt down from the ropes outside the ring and rushed over, stepping between them.

"What the hell are you doing? Keep your hands off of her," Daniel said. Sheamus raised his hands in innocence.

"I swear to ya, fella, I wasn't doin' a damn thing but helpin' the girl," he answered, stepping back. I could hear the ref counting to five.

"Dragon, get in the ring! I can handle myself!" Adaen shouted. Daniel hesitated. Adaen moved in close to him, repeating herself in a whisper against Daniel's ear and flaring an anger into Sheamus that was hard to control. Daniel turned back and leapt into the ring, locking up with Tensai. Adaen calmly took her seat, knowing that if she flew off the handle again she could be the reason Daniel lost his match. Sheamus sat down too, but he couldn't bring himself back to the action in the ring.

"Sheamus, I've got to ask. What is your problem with Daniel Bryan?" Cole questioned, leaning towards the two of them. Adaen shifted in her chair, looking at Sheamus. She was curious to hear the answer as well, because as far as she was concerned she was the only one he needed have any ill-will towards. When he didn't answer, but looked down at the monitor as though it was suddenly the most interesting match he'd ever witnessed, Adaen knew.

"Well? Answer the question, Sheamus. We'd all like to know. What _is_ your problem with Daniel Bryan?" she goaded him, making him look up at her. His eyes were big, and blue with green flecks like they'd been when she'd seen them this closely last, when he'd kissed her.

"Here we go! He's locking up Tensai! Is he gonna tap?"

Adaen's eyes were drawn to the ring. Daniel had Tensai in the Lebell lock. Tensai tapped out.

"And your winner by submission, Daniel Bryan!"

Adaen leapt up and made her way into the ring as Tensai rolled out. She stood beside Daniel, happy for him that he'd won, even raising his arm for the cheering crowd.

"Congratulations, Dragon. You can do anything," she said, letting him wrap his arms around her in a hug.

"With you beside me, of course I can," he replied, looking into her eyes. His sweet words made her heart warm; and of course, being so close to him made her skin tingle. Even with Sheamus watching and Randy awaiting her in the back, she couldn't help herself. She kissed Daniel, feeling the eyes of people and cameras on her and the world over watching but she didn't care. She wanted her one moment with him, with her idol and her teenage crush and if it was now and only now; at least she could watch it on TV whenever she wanted for the rest of her life.

Sheamus threw his headset into the barricade, grabbed his title belt and leaving the arena as quickly as he could. The last thing he'd wanted was to see them really kissing, to see that there wasn't room enough for him to wedge himself between them. He wasn't going to stick around for a stupid promo and watch the woman of his sick masochistic dreams kissing a man Sheamus was so much better than.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, Sheam-o!" the man gripping his shoulder was not one to usually address Sheamus; he turned to the Miz and growled at him.

"Whaddaya want, Miz?"

"I know what your deal is, Sheam-o. I get it," Miz said, patting Sheamus' title belt sitting on his good shoulder. Sheamus narrowed his eyes at the smug-faced man.

"Get what?" he shot back. Miz smiled, tilting his head a little at the angry Irishman.

"You're gonna play dumb with me, really? Really? After you just stomped out of the arena like that? You've out-ed yourself to everyone in this place. You like Adaen. And Adaen likes Daniel. I can help you with this. In fact, I've already begun. Come with me," Miz walked off down the hall a bit, and turned to see Sheamus hesitating at the end of the hall. Miz wasn't exactly the most reliable or straight-laced gentleman on the roster. He was known for his antics and meddling in the lives of other superstars. But what did Sheamus really have to lose? He'd done nothing but make things worse for himself out of his own jealousy. He shrugged, and followed the Miz down the hall, hoping that he didn't just completely sign himself over to the devil.

* * *

"Adaen," Daniel could barely hear himself over the roaring crowd. Adaen shook her head a little.

"I'm sorry, Dragon. I've just… I've wanted to do that for four years," she answered, looking away from him. He took her chin in his hand and directed her back to look at him.

"I wish you had," he said, grabbing the back of her neck gently and pulling her in again.

"Sheamus didn't seem too happy to see this, King. Do you think he has a thing for Miss Adaen?"

"Cole, who doesn't have a thing for this girl? She's a great wrestler. She's a beautiful girl. Daniel Bryan is a lucky man."

"Maybe not as lucky as he thinks," Cole replied, eyeing the ramp. Randy was standing atop it, awaiting them both.

"I'm about to be murdered, aren't I?" Daniel asked, a little out of breath from the kiss.

"It's possible," to be honest, Adaen wasn't sure what was going to happen. Randy had never really let a guy talk to her, let alone kiss her on national television.

"Worth it," Daniel said, moving over to sit on the middle rope to let her out of the ring. He leapt down and helped her down the steel steps, and walked slowly alongside her up the ramp. Randy had his eyes locked on Daniel like a torpedo targeting-system lay in his venomous pupils, locked and loaded. They all walked backstage together, and as soon as they were no longer visible to the crowd, Randy turned on Daniel with his usual completely masked expression. Daniel couldn't help but flinch slightly.

"C-Show, what you did out there… showed me that my sister is important to you. Just like she is to me. If you hurt her, I will hurt you," he added, looking to Adaen before stalking off.

"He's letting me be alone with you," Daniel stated in mild disbelief.

"I'm as surprised as you are," she responded, pulling her hair across her left shoulder.

"Well… do you think I could kiss you again? I'm just not sure if you were kissing me for the cameras or…" he smirked a little, and she gladly put herself in his arms again. Just as they were about to kiss, Adaen turned her head to the sound of footsteps approaching them.

"Whoa, sorry guys; didn't mean to interrupt you," Miz rose his hands a little in defense. Adaen smiled, disentangling herself from Daniel.

"It's about time I go anyhow. Goodnight, Dragon," Adaen kissed his cheek quickly before heading off in the same direction Randy had. As soon as she was out of earshot, Miz took Daniel around the shoulder and squeezed him tightly.

"So listen, Danny. I've got a few things that you may need to know about those little hips you had your hands on a minute ago. And it isn't a pretty picture I'm painting here," Miz said, shrugging a little with an unconvincing frown. Daniel shook his head, parting from contact with Miz.

"No offense, Mike, but your opinions don't really matter to me," Daniel said, attempting to walk away from the conversation. Miz grabbed him by the shoulder.

"It's more important than you realize, Danny. Adaen isn't exactly your girl to have."

That stopped Daniel in his tracks, as Miz knew it would. It was a good damn thing Miz knew so many people in the business, or he wouldn't have been able to hold Daniel off.

* * *

"My brother is the quickest walking son of a bitch I've ever known," Adaen muttered to herself as she looked further down the hall. She frowned when she caught sight of the red-head leaning against the wall a little further down. His head was bowed and his arms were crossed, as best as they could be in his sling. A wave of anger flushed over Adaen, and she marched over to him.

"Are you going to answer my question or not?"

Sheamus looked over to Adaen, who stood angrily glaring at him. Her arms were crossed, and her hair fell across her face, the curls finally loosening up into half-hearted spirals that spilled in every direction across her back and shoulders.

"You're the damned most beautiful woman I've ever seen, ya know that? Even lookin' like yer gonna put me in some damn arm bar again," he replied, looking down at his feet again. This caught Adaen off guard, completely off guard. She pushed her hair back behind her ear, taking a quick look at the ground before meeting his gaze again.

"It wasn't an arm bar, it was called an Omoplata. It's like Brock Lesnar's Kimura lock, just harder to catch someone in. It really wasn't my fault, you're just a little too gullible," she replied, the frustration with him draining from her in an instant. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her unable to be angry with him, the look of being vulnerable and real all within those big blue eyes. It seemed that it got her every time.

"It's hard not ta trust a beautiful girl, even if she's in the ot'er corner. Always been a bit of a weakness of mine. I know I'm not exactly a looker or anyt'ing, what with being 'The Great White' and all, but I figured I'd at least have a bit of a shot wit' ya. I guess I got me answer tonight," he rose up from the wall, adjusting his title over his bad shoulder. He made a difficult face, as though all the things he was saying came at a price of some sort.

"Well, just know that if he hurts ya; I'll be there to pick up the pieces. Danny's a damn lucky man, and I wish I were him. Have a good night," he turned around and made his way slowly down the hall. Adaen stayed in her place, feeling as though she'd gotten so much more than the answer she'd been looking for.


	9. Chapter 9

Confused would be the understatement of the century. Randy pounded his feet into the treadmill beside her, earphones in and zoned out completely as he ran. Adaen could usually do the same, but her mind was occupied. Daniel had not been responding much to phone calls or texts, and Adaen was starting to feel like an idiot for trying. When he did respond to her, it was short and half-hearted; the phone calls were only answered when he had an excuse to get out of talking to her. She hadn't done anything to deserve it, and last night when she finally got a hold of him to confront him about his attitude he said they could talk tonight when she flew in for Raw.

She pulled out her headphones and pressed the stop button with more force than necessary, leaning over the treadmill bars for a second before lifting herself up and off the treadmill. She headed angrily toward the weight machines, picking an incline bench press in between a group of laughing meatheads and began piling on the weights. They all turned to watch her, silent and observant as she pushed the bar up with ease. Randy made his way over, careful to meet the eyes of each man and shunning them away as Adaen lifted the hefty bar for another set of 10. He reached between the bar and her arm and yanked out one of her headphones.

"Angry?" he asked, a raised brow accompanying it. She put the bar down and sat up, pushing him back a little.

"Just leave it, Randal," she replied sharply. He nodded, taking a couple steps back and letting her get up.

"Our flight leaves soon, so finish it up. I'm gonna hit the showers," she added, feeling her stomach do an anxious twist at the thought of the too long flight she was about to take to Texas. On top of her inevitable talk with Daniel, they also had a match tonight against Sheamus and Eve.

Adaen stood in the shower until the water ran cold. And then, she stayed for a few moments to shock her head out of her spiraled thinking. What exactly had she done to justify this kind of attitude? Daniel had never treated her like this before. She'd felt a connection with him, she'd trusted him, and now he was acting as though she'd caught some kind of contagious disease. Anger flashed over her as she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself and quickly changing into a pair of sweats and tank top; her flight attire. When she picked up her phone, she mulled it over in her hands a few times before she unlocked the screen and pressed on Daniel's name. It rang three times before he picked up.

"Hey Adaen, when're you flying in?" Punk asked. Adaen resisted the urge to punch the locker in front of her.

"I'll be there in a few hours, Phil. Is Dragon avoiding me for any reason in particular?"

"Avoiding you? He's in the ring sparring right now. Has he not been talking to you?"

"Not really. I'm starting to think I've done something, but I don't know what."

"He hasn't said anything to me, but I'll find out. He's stepping out; I'll text you in a bit."

"Thanks, Phil," she hung up, letting anxiety fall over her in place of all the frustration. If Phil couldn't figure out what was wrong, she was going to be in for a long and merciless flight.

* * *

Daniel stepped out of the ring, leaping from the apron to the ground and meeting Punk at the bench where their gear was.

"Adaen just called," Punk said, handing Daniel his towel and phone.

"Okay," Daniel responded quietly, wiping his face down.

"Okay? You spend weeks fawning over this girl, now she's yours, and now you're not talking to her? You're being a real dick right now, Bryan. What's your deal?"

It wasn't often Punk ever called Daniel by his given name, and it alerted Daniel to the seriousness of Punk's words.

"I just, found out about some things that I didn't like," Daniel admitted, looking at Punk sternly.

"From who? You can't trust the rumor mill around here, you know that."

"It wasn't from a reliable source, so I asked him for proof. They'll be here any minute," Daniel answered, pulling on a shirt and turning to the opening door.

"Miz? You got your intel from Mikey Mizanin? Really?" Punk asked incredulously as Miz made his way through the door. The man that accompanied him was one Punk vaguely recognized. They made their way across the training room towards him and Daniel, who offered his hand to the man Punk felt more and more familiar with as he looked on.

"Bryan Danielson," Daniel said, shaking the man's hand.

"Jesse Neal," Jesse answered, recounting his firm shake.

"So… I flew Jesse out here for you, Danny. Ask away," Miz said, folding his arms and keeping his eyes trained on Punk. Punk watched his longtime friend carefully as Daniel thought, scratching the side of his beard in a familiar tell of his own nervousness.

"What's his name?" Daniel asked finally. Jesse's brow raised a little, but he didn't seem incredibly surprised or confused. Not near as much as Punk was. Daniel shook his head, his frustration spilling out of his previously well-kept stone-face.

"What the hell is going on here, exactly?" Punk finally broke his silence, drawing Jesse and Miz's attention to him.

"You don't know, Philly? Well, I'll fill you in. This is Jesse Neal, a TNA competitor who trained alongside Miss Adaen Orton. And had a child with her."

* * *

Adaen was lacing her boots. Her attire tonight was not of her own choosing but she supposed it would do. The zebra print shorts and sport top combo, racy and laced up along the sides with pink ribbon. She stared at her reflection, her tan set in so as to look natural; the small peek of abdominal muscles under her skin; the long and carefully maintained hair, deep conditioned and bleached every two weeks. How long had it taken her to become this? To get to the place where $500 ring attire was handed to her every night? Where $300 hair appointments were fronted by her day job? Where the only thing she had to do a couple nights a week was wrestle? It hadn't been as easy as anyone thought. Not fighting tooth in nail to go against the wishes of everyone, and after that to crawl from out of Randy's shadow. It had been painstaking, painful. The darkest times, away from all of her family, living alone; they had nearly made her come running home with her tail between her legs, nearly made her feel like her dreams weren't even worth it.

The people she's surrounded herself with had both kept her sane and nearly destroyed her. The legends that took an extra day in the area to show her a couple new moves. Jeff and Matt Hardy, Chris Masters, Billy Kidman, Lita, and countless others she owed her entire career to. All of those people who built her up, and it had taken only one to put her back down. One smile from across the gym, one or two well-placed conversations, and one night when she'd stayed behind to clean up and…

She shook the thoughts from her mind, and looked at herself again in the mirror, sweeping her bangs from her eye and smiling. She had become a beautiful swan from an ugly duckling, a Diva, a superstar; from the shadow of Randy Orton. The people that brought her up had mattered so much more than anyone to her, they had always meant more than all the bad things. Her career was going to matter more than Daniel if it had to, though it hurt her to think about. It had mattered more than Jesse and everything he'd done, and she was surely not going to let…

"So, were you ever going to tell me about Cassidy?"

* * *

That was not the name she'd wanted for him. She wanted his name to be more unique. She'd named him Cassidy because Cassidy had been a good enough name for her, a name she wouldn't have to hear too often because the sound grated on her straight through the tissue and bone right into her heart. Daniel stood firmly in the mirror behind her, his arms crossed as though he had anything to truly be angry about. Adaen wasn't sure why she wasn't. Because she'd spent too much time being angry about this, or maybe she'd just been able to bury it adequately enough to get by.

"There's nothing to tell. And it really isn't any of your business," she replied, crossing over the bench and meeting him head on.

"You having a son is my business if you want to be with me," he shot back. Adaen felt her eye twitch a little. This sentence in itself meant he knew nothing of which he spoke. A knock at the door kept Adaen from decking him right then and there.

"Ah, just the woman and… her hip attachment I wanted to see," Leo stepped into the room, basking in the tension like a black hole to all light.

"Why are you dressed out?" he added, looking at Adaen as though she were in gym sweats and an old shirt.

"What exactly do you mean?" she countered. He smirked.

"You're not wrestling tonight. Eve got injured yesterday, she can't compete. You're Sheamus and Daniel's special guest referee. And this, is a title match," the way he spoke was so matter-of-fact, it was as though he'd been reminding them of this for weeks. He reached into the pocket of his blazer, tossing a small bag to her she could see striped clothing through.

"This, darling Adaen, is what you should be wearing this evening. Good luck tonight, Danny. Roster's getting a little tight, might need to cut some loose ends on it if you can't get the job done," he patted Daniel's shoulder before leaving the room, a wide smile on his face. Adaen threw the attire down on the bench, her face now blatantly livid.

"Get the fuck out, Daniel," she spoke with great finality, pointing out the door.

"You're kidding. You're the one keeping secrets here, and I just want to hear it from you. You're really mad at me for wanting to know the truth?"

The truth? There was nothing to tell. Nothing she wanted to talk about and nothing he deserved to know.

"I don't owe you anything. Get out! Get the fuck out!" she shouted, losing it completely. She went to the door and pulled it open, waiting for him to step through it. He hesitated, looking as though he wasn't serious anymore, that he hadn't expected this from her.

"Sister? Is there something going on? I just saw Leo coming from…," Randy was in the doorway now, in his new shirt and trunks. He looked Daniel up and down, surveying the scene quickly.

"Move, Randal. Daniel is leaving," Adaen said, keeping her eyes on Daniel. Randy stepped aside, his face beginning to turn to a match of Adaen's.

"Do it of your own free will while you can," Randy added, watching Daniel finally decide to pass through the door; two Ortons staring him down was a decision-maker if there ever was one. Randy grabbed the door handle quickly from Adaen and shut the door behind him.

"Talk," he said, watching her turn and pick up the small shorts and tight midriff tank top she was to be wearing tonight.

"Somebody told Daniel about… about Cassidy," against her greatest attempts to hold it back, her voice caught in her throat, because the name scratched on her from the inside out just to say. Randy's face fell and he looked away, putting his fist to the wall.

"I'm sorry, Adaen. I don't know how anyone could've found out."

"Well, they all know now, don't they? And now, I'm the referee in a title match between two people I can't stand. In this outfit," she held up the skimpy referee gear, her fist closed so tightly her knuckles were white.

"You get out too. I don't want to talk and I certainly don't want to be late for my wonderful modeling career to finally begin," she opened the door, motioning for him to leave too.

"I'll be ringside," he said sternly, stepping through the door. She slammed it shut behind him, clicking the lock into place and throwing her fist into the vanity mirror. It cracked cleanly through the middle and, feeling a little satisfied by this, Adaen began to ready herself for the worst match of her life. It was a guarantee that whoever had let this out into the light was going to get theirs. Adaen would make sure of it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning:** this chapter contains sexual content, this fic is rated M for mature.

**Thanks to all who review and follow!**  
Special thanks to **Thoughts In Chaos **for always providing a steady stream of feedback  
The first part of this chapter was written because of your last review.

* * *

News spread quickly around the arena that Orton was on a bender. Randy's eyes could not find a pair that met them without fear, and everywhere he looked was dressed in shades of red. Daniel wasn't a quick walker, and Randy easily caught up to him and threw him against the brick wall.

"Who told you?"

Randy had easily knocked the wind out of the much smaller man, but even as he sputtered and attempted to gain breath through his still sore abdomen, Randy pressed on him hard.

"Speak or be killed where you stand, you goat-faced son of a-"

Hyper-aware Randy stopped when he saw The Miz round the corner, and before the Miz could even ask if there was a problem, Randy growled deeply at him.

"Right… I'm just going to turn around and pretend I never saw this…"

"It's him you want, he told me," Daniel managed to sputter out, feeling Randy's weight leave him immediately. The Miz broke into a run but he wasn't any match for an angry bull like Orton. Miz had managed to round the corner he'd come from when Randy had the cement ground spinning toward him. Randy had a knee in the small of Miz's back, holding the smaller man down with ease.

"I'll give you the choice, Mikey. Open casket, or cremation?" Randy growled at him.

"Thank you kindly for the option, but I've got a show to commentate in about three and a half minutes and if-"

Randy pushed Miz's head against the cement floor, eyeing the surrounding technicians staring at them in horror carefully. No heroes in this group. No one was going to get in his way.

"You have nothing to do and nowhere to go, isn't that right folks?" Randy locked eyes with each stagehand, who either nodded or quickly disappeared.

"Now, if I didn't know any better, Mikey; I'd say that you thought you were really going to get away with fucking with my family. Do you think you can fuck with my sister's life, Mikey? Do you?"

"I… cannot… fucking breathe!" Miz shouted, trying to scramble up but couldn't shake Randy; who easily picked Miz up by the back of his shirt and tossed him against a table of wires.

"Breathe, while you still have the opportunity."

"Listen, Randal, you and I both know secrets don't make friends. It's not my fault your sister didn't tell Daniel she had a kid, alright? Secrets don't stay secrets. And you can't shoot the messenger, it's a fact. And even then, I'm not the messenger! I'm not! I'm just the liaison; the man you're looking for is in my dressing room," Miz said, pleaded, begged.

Randy thought on his words for moment. Miz was never an honest man unless his health was at stake. And if need be, Randy knew where Miz would be for the next hour.

* * *

This outfit was not made to be worn by anyone outside of a Playboy modeling shoot, Adaen thought as she looked in the mirror. Some excuse for a striped halter bikini top and shorts that barely covered her bottom; if anyone could tell she was a referee and not just one of those ring girls that hold up Round 1 signs before fights, she'd color herself impressed.

She pulled her hair around her shoulders. At least it was long enough to cover some of her up. This night was turning out to be a worse hell than she'd previously thought, and to top it off someone else was knocking at her door again. She attempted to ignore it, hoping they'd get the hint; but she knew it wouldn't happen when the Irishman began to speak.

"Adaen, ya'd best be getting' a hold of yer brother; he's on a bit of a rampage, and I don't t'ink Leo's gon' ta be appreciatin' all the broken t'ings and people he's been leavin' in his wake," he said through the door. Adaen shook her head, moving to it slowly and unlocking it. Sheamus stepped it, closing it quickly behind him.

"Listen, Adaen, I just watched your brother literally break a damn door off its hinges, and-"

He stopped talking when he really looked at her.

"Wow… I'm sorry; I didn't know ya weren't decent."

She laughed bitterly.

"This is my ring attire for tonight, courtesy of our boss. And Randy will wear himself down eventually, or find whomever he's searching for and put their blood on his hands. Don't worry, it's not you," she added, turning to the mirror and trying to adjust her attire. It wasn't going to be easy going out there looking like this.

"What's going on, exactly? All I've picked up is he got a hold of Danny. Did he do something?"

Adaen shook her head, looking at him through the mirror behind her. He was in his ring gear, wearing his Brogue Kick Hooligans shirt; his face showed such genuine concern.

"I'm surprised that it's not flying around as quickly as my brother is," she answered, turning to look at him. He seemed to be having difficulty locking eyes with her.

"You mean about yer son," Sheamus replied quietly, putting his hands on his hips and looking away from her.

"I don't have a son, Sheamus. The problem in nobody seems to care for the story behind Cassidy. I… didn't ask for it to happen. I had a miscarriage. I never had a son. I just know that I would have, and I had decided to name him Cassidy. Because he was real. Does Daniel care about that? No. Do you? Probably not. But that's the fucking truth," she stepped over the bench and looked him in the eye, hers were watering despite her best efforts to keep them from it. It broke his heart to see that strong face turning to tears. And when he reached out and put his arms around her, she took to him easily.

"It matters to me, love. The truth matters to me," he whispered against the top of her head, taking in her pleasant scent as he held her tightly. She let the tears fall, ones that had fallen so many times for the same reason. Usually she was in the arms of her brother or alone in a quiet hotel room. But here she was in the arms of Sheamus, the man she'd had nothing but contempt for the last few weeks; and his arms wrapped tightly around her was a different comfort than she was accustomed to. Kissing him had always been in the back of her mind, how he'd brushed lips with her without any real explanation; how for whatever reason he had feelings for her and she'd crushed them by deciding to go with Daniel. She felt bad for him, guilty because he'd been nice to her and she'd not only hurt his feelings but injured him in the ring. She'd beaten him, injured his pride and threatened his reputation and still he was here with her despite it all. Maybe it was the sudden vulnerability she felt, maybe she was just overwhelmed from all that had happened; but the in-between didn't exist and her legs were wrapped around his waist. He pressed her back against the wall of her locker room, kissing her fervently. His shoulder was killing him but he did not give a damn, her hair fell across his face smelling so sweetly it made him want her right then and there; she could hardly breathe but didn't want to turn away. When they couldn't take it anymore, they pulled back and locked eyes with each other.

"What are we doing?" Sheamus asked, surveying their circumstances. Adaen was breathing heavily, pushing her hair back from between them.

"I don't care, just don't stop," she managed, pulling him in again by lacing her hands behind his neck. He obliged, of course he did; because this was the woman he wanted and he finally had her. He felt the nudge of his trunks coming down across his waist, whether it was her intention or not it spiked his blood to the point of no return. He pulled her from the wall and laid her down gently on the long bench beside her locker. He took a quick glance at the door, assuring himself it was locked and hopefully not as weak as the one he'd watched Randy tear down earlier. At the moment, Randy Orton didn't matter to him. Daniel Bryan and the impending bout they were to have in… when was he scheduled? It didn't matter, because those big beautiful eyes were staring expectantly at him, more naked than she was before he'd looked away; he was losing track of the world around him outside of her. It seemed dangerous but euphoria had set in and her skin was so damn soft he had to touch every inch of it. Where his hands traced his lips followed and she tried her best to keep her balance on that narrow bench and her voice down. And when he finally couldn't take it anymore his trunks were off as fast as he'd put them on and he put himself inside her. He studied her every move, lost in her and the way her hair fell across the bench and nearly touched the floor when she moved her head. The way her eyes closed and opened with his movements, and the way they locked directly on his when she whispered to him. She was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen, and to know it was he who was writing the pleasure drawn on her perfect face made his muscles tense and focus solely on her benefit. It felt as though they'd been this way forever, whispering his name and tugging at the shirt he'd neglected to remove in his haste. He could tell when she was close, her control lessened and her vocals gained strength, her eyes stayed open and he pulled her down to kiss him, kept his forehead against hers until he felt her shudder. The way she tensed sent him over the edge as well, and in their glorious moment of passion the entire world fell upon them both in a glorious and immediate guilt-ridden heap.

Adaen sat up, grabbing the bottoms of her skimpy referee outfit and pulling them on quickly. Sheamus grabbed his trunks and did the same, looking at different eyes staring back at him.

"Listen, you… don't have to worry because I can't… I can't…" she trailed off as though it was both hard to speak to him and hard to find the words caught in her throat. She pulled her hair back and grabbed a ponytail holding dangling on the vanity, tying it quickly so only a few shorter strands fell loosely around her face.

"You're on birt' control?" he asked, trying to grasp for a girl who was already back to erecting walls against him.

"You need to go, the match starts soon," she said suddenly, grabbing a few things from her bag and going into the bathroom. She shut the door with finality, and he stood there for a few moments; wondering what in the hell he was supposed to do now.


	11. Chapter 11

It was easily the most uncomfortable moment of his life, standing beside the man whose girlfriend he'd had sex with fifteen minutes ago. Sheamus was unnaturally focused on rolling his wrists and adjusting the tape around them, Daniel noticed his unusual lack of antagonization immediately.

"What the hell is your problem?" Daniel asked, his nostrils flaring in anger as he attempted to stretch out his sore muscles. There was no damn hope of Daniel ever healing if Randy was going to keep beating him up.

"Not a damn t'ing, Danny boy. What the hell is yers?" Sheamus countered.

"Shut up, both of you."

And appeared the reason for it all, having finally decided to come out of her dressing room with prodding from officials and stage-hands. Daniel searched her up and down with a raised brow.

"What are you wearing?"

"What part of shut up doesn't appeal to you, Danielson?" she snapped back quickly, setting Daniel to fix his attention on anything but her. Sheamus looked at her, hoping to see anything in her eyes that made him feel any better about what they'd done not so long ago.

"Adaen, I just wanted ta apologize," he said when she refused to meet eyes with him.

"For what?" Daniel asked, turning his head slightly towards Sheamus.

"Eyes straight ahead if you enjoy having them in your head, Farrelly," Adaen replied simply, crossing her arms over her chest and looking straight through him. He stepped towards her, forcing her to take inventory of him if only in defense. It wasn't easy looking at a man she had so many feelings for that all opposed each other.

"Step away from me, Stephen, please. I just want to get through this match so I can go home," she said, taking a step back when he didn't.

"Don't be like that, love, I-" he began, but Daniel's theme song cut him off. Daniel took a glance back at Adaen.

"Good luck," he said, making her furrow her brow at him questioningly.

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"

"I figure I'd add on to the luck of the Irish you've already got," he said with a bitter sneer as he stepped up and through the curtains. Adaen's mouth was parted slightly in shock, mostly at how very quickly things had gone from fucked up to worse.

"I can't take this," she said, not to anyone in particular but Sheamus was her audience now.

"I'm sorry, love, I-"

"Don't call me love, and don't apologize. It takes two to make a mistake. It took both of us to make the mistake. And I'd like to forget about it. So," she could hear his music cuing, and stepped aside to let him his space. The hurt was growing insurmountable. Not only had he messed things up with her from practically the first day meeting her, but now he was a mistake entirely. And in a moment he was going to be thrown out there to the shark-infested waters and he honestly didn't know if he was going to come back the champion.

A stagehand approached, handing Sheamus his title.

"Miss Adaen, you're on deck. Sheamus, you're up in two," he passed between them, and Adaen watched him quietly. Sheamus had never wanted less to be the man he was, to see those fans; to be the surly fight-loving Irishman he'd been painted as. He wished he'd trusted his damn instincts when Miz had told him his dirty secret. Sheamus should've threatened him, done something to keep his big mouth shut. Sheamus didn't care if Adaen had a child, he didn't care that it turned out she didn't. He didn't care if she could never have them, didn't care that he brother was the Apex Predator or that the man had very clearly snapped as of recent and was after blood. He just liked the girl, felt an inexplicable pull towards her like a magnet to a metal surface though she'd not been a thing but trouble to him in the short time they'd known each other. She was staring at him, her eyes wide; and the world came back to him with such ferocity it nearly knocked his breath away. His theme music was playing; he'd missed his cue. Son of a-

* * *

Daniel was doing his nervous hop in the ring, but his face told a different story completely. He was livid and more-so when Sheamus finally appeared on the ramp; pounding his chest with a half-hearted growl.

"Cole, you've got to know who the special guest referee in tonight? Leo Stovik must've told you something!"

"The only thing he told me, King, was that it was a very special guest who deserved a special place in this title match and a very special outfit, whatever that meant."

Sheamus made his way into the ring, meeting eyes with Daniel. His face, the look of pure fury, it drained whatever small effort Sheamus had put into himself trying to be in character. Sheamus flexed his arms, listening for the momentary silence between his theme and the impending one he'd heard a time or two before.

**Halestorm  
"Love Bites (So Do I)"**

_Don't listen what your girlfriend says  
She reads those magazines  
That say you failed the test  
You don't have what she needs  
I slither like a viper  
And get you by the neck  
I know a thousand ways to help you forget about her_

That chick can eat her heart out  
Love bites, but so do I, so do I

She wished she'd put on some pants. Coming out to this song in this outfit just dissolved everything she'd worked at for years. She was just another generic Diva, in this too small top and shorts. God-fucking-damnit, what the hell had all of this come to?

_My lips are pale and vicious  
You're foaming at the mouth  
You've suffered in the darkness  
I'll suck the pain right out  
So come and taste the reason  
I'm nothing like the rest  
I kiss you in a way you'll never forget about me_

That chick can eat her heart out  
Love bites, but so do I, so do I

She made her way tentatively to the ring, almost afraid to step in. The energy in between those ropes was nerve-racking. So much about this made her want to run quickly in the other direction. But she quietly made her way up the steel steps and caught eyes with Sheamus approaching her. He held the ropes for her, and she hesitated before getting in. Her eyes were on Daniel, who hadn't moved from his place in the corner opposite them.

"The last time we saw these three; Daniel Bryan had beaten Tensai and won Adaen's affection. He'd even accompanied her to her match on Smackdown. Why didn't he help her into the ring? And doesn't this leave him with an unfair advantage?" Cole asked, marking the confusion felt by the entire arena. Adaen moved to the edge of the ring where an accompanying referee stood.

"Start the match when you're ready, Miss Adaen," he said. Adaen nodded, and raised her arm to ring the bell.

"Miss Adaen! Hold on, hold on!" Leo's sleazy voice could be heard throughout the stadium, eliciting an almost unanimous boo from the audience. He was smirking from his office seat on the titantron.

"I'd like to offer you a piece of advice, Miss Adaen. If you have any hope to get your boyfriend, Daniel, back you should probably let him know all of your dirty, little secrets. Good luck tonight, and call it down the middle or you're fired," and with that he disappeared. Adaen took a deep breath, and let her arm come down; the bell ringing the match in.

"There's something else you haven't told me?" Daniel spoke immediately, forcing himself to lock up with Sheamus instead of her.

"Get inta the damn match and leave her alone, fella," Sheamus shot back, throwing Daniel into the ring post.

"Listen, Sheamus, I don't know who you think you are but you don't know me or Adaen. So back off," Daniel shoved Sheamus back, and Sheamus quickly grabbed Daniel by the arm and pulled him straight into a clothesline. Daniel kipped up immediately.

"I know enough ta know ya left her and yer the one who doesn't need ta be talking. If ya hadnt'a jumped to conclusions she'd wouldn't'a-" Sheamus stopped himself, his eyes moving quickly to Adaen. She stared back at him, her own eyes wide.

"Wouldn't have what? What did you do?! What did you do with my girlfriend you big Irish freak?!" Daniel tackled him to the ground, throwing blows that weren't staged into his face. Sheamus tried to cover himself, and Adaen grabbed Daniel by the shoulder and yanked him up.

"C'mon, Dragon, you know the rules!"

"Don't call me that," he pulled his arm away, glaring at her with ferocious disdain.

"Did you sleep with Sheamus?"

The words echoed through Adaen's ears. What she'd attempted to bury somewhere deep in the back of her head had come to the surface suddenly. She had indeed slept with Sheamus. In the same place she'd had her heart broken by Daniel. This was karma, this was fate. For all she'd done a year ago this was what was bound to occur.


End file.
